Parametric studies on fire resistance of fire-resistant steel members

Abstract

Based on the test data of Nippon Steel Corporation, the mathematical formulas have been implemented on the mechanical properties of fire-resistant (FR) steel at elevated temperatures. The high-temperature performances of FR steel members are analyzed using non-linear FEM with ANSYS program. The reliability of the FEM approach are verified by full-scale experiments on axially compressed columns and a beam subjected to elevated temperatures which were performed by Nippon Steel Corporation. Employing the validated FEM approach, a large number of parametric studies are carried out. The parameters having significant or negligible effects on the critical temperatures of FR steel members have been discussed. It has been found by comparisons that using FR steel as load-bearing members can improve the fire-resistant performance of steel constructions greatly. Finally, a practical approach for estimating the critical temperatures of FR steel members is suggested.